Love and Misadventure
by mirajens
Summary: High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably drunk or delusional. — Naruto HS!AU, multiple pairings
1. a question

**Love and Misadventure**

by_ mirajens_

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"Do you love me?" I ask.

In your hesitation I found my answer.

—**Lang Leav**, _Love &amp; Misadventure_

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_**KIBA**_

He woke to the sound of rain pelting the glass of his bedroom window.

His room was cast with a gloomy air, lending him that Monday morning drag. It was time for the first day of school, and Kiba could think of a billion reasons to stay at home rather than sit for eight hours in a classroom listening to his teachers drone on about one mundane topic or another. With school came the promise of the daily stress and time that was slowly taking its toll on him.

He sighed and got up anyway.

No less was expected of him.

* * *

_**HINATA**_

She walked out of the registrar's office with her schedule in one hand and hesitance in her step. Nervous about the first day didn't even begin to cut it on how Hinata Hyuuga was feeling. She thought that she'd at least have one friend on the first day but Neji quickly abandoned her the moment the first bell rang.

And so she was alone in navigating her way to homeroom.

* * *

_**INO**_

She strode through the halls of Konoha High; high ponytail swishing about behind her and the short hem of her skirt brushing against the back of her thighs every so often. She could feel eyes on her, appreciation and intrigue rolling off of her for no particular reason other than she was beautiful, rich and the popular. She was magnetic and alluring; people wanted to know her, naturally.

The busy crowds parted for her, and she didn't even need to say a word to make it so. That was the beauty in wearing her power as seamlessly as she did any outfit. Her presence demanded so much attention that she didn't need to ask people to move, they simply subsided. It was a compelling feeling, but also a lonely one.

Who wanted to be able to say that people feared her more than they loved her?

* * *

_**SAKURA**_

She spied her ex-boyfriend, Sasuke, by his locker, a dark look on his face and a redhead on his arm.

Sakura knew of the girl, of course. Red hair, bad eye sight and an evil grin; Karin Uzumaki was a shitty bitch tit who still thought Boyce Avenue and unprotected sex were cool. She was one of Sasuke's top groupies and a huge factor in the controversial Sasuke-Sakura Breakup 2k14. Sakura remembered Sasuke saying how annoying Naruto's cousin was, but what stopped Sasuke from 'hanging out' with anyone with a vagina?  
Seething, Sakura slammed her locker door shut and walked away.

* * *

_**NARUTO**_

The first time he laid eyes on _her _ was on the first day of senior year at homeroom.

She was a stunner, definitely, with milky eyes that refused to look up from the toes of her Italian loafers, a waterfall of straight, inky hair, skin that looked supple and flawless and a body that was evidently rocking even in her baggy cardigan. Goddamn, she was fine. She looked so different from all the women Naruto knew, and damn if that didn't appeal to him.

"Sweet God," he whispered to himself, loud enough to have his best friend, Sasuke Uchiha, spare him a glace. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

"Do you even know how to spell 'beautiful'?" Sasuke joked, his tone dry.

"Teme, I'm serious." Naruto whined. "She looks a bit like Neji, don't you think? Except she's prettier."

"You think? They're cousins, of course they'd look similar." Sasuke replied as he inspected his cuticles. Perfect, of course. Just like him.

"She's the cousin Neji said was transferring here?" Naruto was not even deterred by the fact that hitting on the fearsome Neji Hyuuga's cousin would result in tasteless repercussion. Like castration, maybe. "She's... _wow_."

Naruto had never been one who was shy with his emotions so he stared at the beauty with his jaw agape and his heart in his eyes.

"You're hot!" He suddenly cried out while the principal, Tsunade, was mid introduction. His bold statement was greeted by laughs from his classmates and a blush from the new student. He grinned cheekily when she finally looked up to meet his eyes.

* * *

_**TENTEN**_

"Ino," Tenten whispered to her seatmate. "I'm gonna ask her to sit with us at lunch."

The blonde, unable to take her eyes off the new girl, nodded. "I have to know where she got her skirt from. I have to."

* * *

_**SHIKAMARU**_

Ignoring his laughing classmates, Shikamaru rolled his eyes at Naruto's bold declaration. Some days, he really wished he could outright tell the woman _he_ loved how he felt about her, but no, Shikamaru Nara was never going to be so audacious.

So there he sat on his desk, his head down on his hands, looking for all the world as if he was preparing to fall asleep in class yet , but in his vision was the back of Ino's head.

* * *

_**SASUKE**_

He could feel Sakura glaring daggers at him all the way from her seat. It was getting annoying, all of Sakura's passive-aggressive bullshit. Didn't she remember that it was _she_ who broke up with him in the first place?

Not that it mattered, since Sasuke had his mind made up that they were getting back together by lunch time. No one walked away from actual sex god Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

_**NEJI**_

Neji watched his cousin amble over to the empty seat next to his. She was already causing a fuss in the form of Naruto Uzumaki, and it wasn't even second period yet. Jesus. He told her going to Konoha was a bad idea because it was a host to horny pests like Naruto who would only hurt her in the end. And God knew Neji didn't have the time and patience to look after someone so fragile.

And now she was his fucking responsibility. Unbelievable.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I finally sucked it up and made a multi-chapter fic. I know that technically this isn't my first multi-chapter, but this is the first one to have a plot divided by chapters ok. As you can see, this is an AU!High School fic. So tread softly. This will either suck hardcore or turn out okay.

I know nothing is clear with this chapter yet (it being vague was my very intention), but this is just the intro of all the involved (?) characters so calm your beautiful souls. this story will include multiple pairings, featuring a new favorite, ShikaInoKiba. I've been meaning to do a ShikaInoKiba love triangle for some time now because I ship it like hell, and ultimately I decided to make it a high school AU because those are like crack to me. Not to say that this will be exclusively ShikaInoKiba. Naw gerl, this will have multiple pairings (SasuSaku, NaruHina, NejiTen, ShikaTema and maybe some more) and ergo multiple plot lines. So please be patient with me. I struggle with explaining long plots (which is why it would be helpful if you reviewed and let me know how I am doing) and trying to keep it relevant. If you know me at all, you know I veer away from writing multi-chapters because they can never sustain my interest but this is me trying.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. The title is borrowed from Lang Leav's Love &amp; Misadventure. Quote from the summary is Kami Garcia's Beautiful Darkness. I also do not think Karin is a shitty bitch tit.

_**Please don't add this to you Favorites/Alerts if you're not going to review.**_


	2. a betrayal

**Love and Misadventure**

by_ mirajens_

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_I cannot undo_  
_what I have done;_  
_I can't un-sing_  
_a song that's sung._

_And the saddest thing_  
_about my regret―_

_I can't forgive me,_  
_and you can't forget._

—**Lang Leav**, _Love &amp; Misadventure_

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_**SASUKE AND SAKURA**_

"Get back together with me." Were the first words Sasuke Uchiha muttered to Sakura in weeks. He stood by her desk, a bored look on his beautifully sculpted face and apparently, no apologies for all the hell he put her through the past two years since she made the mistake of taking up the position of his girlfriend.

"Go stick your dick in a goat's ass, Sasuke." Sakura said angrily as she clutched her books to her chest, feeling strangely cornered. She had nothing else to say to him; she would give him nothing more because he would surely only turn it all around and use it to upset her. She had been hurt, which was why she would do anything and everything to ensure she was never put in that position again. Sakura knew it was naïve to think that she could steel herself against love, but it wasn't so impossible to believe that she could protect herself from Sasuke.

"That's not a very Catholic thing to say, Sakura." He made a clucking noise with his tongue, but Sakura knew that it was only to mock her. Typical of him to never take her seriously.

"Yeah, well, cheating is not a very catholic thing to do either, so I guess we're both going to hell, huh?" It was pride that made her sit down on her designated seat instead of walking away from Sasuke and crying in the bathroom like she really wanted to, and she was pleased with her progress.

Sensing his ex-girlfriend's discomfort, Sasuke sat on her desk because he was just the type of guy who liked making things worse for everyone just because he could. Sakura had to wonder whatever made her fall in love with this cold, heartless boy with all his deception and indecency. Perfect Sakura Haruno faced her biggest mistake as she fought violently against the onset of tears. All she ever wanted to do these days when it came to Sasuke was cry. _She_ broke up with Sasuke. _She_ left his stupid, unfaithful ass. _She_ walked away from his neglect and coldness. She knew all that perfectly well, but how come it felt like she didn't get to leave him with her dignity intact?

His answer was a grunt. "You know you're being ridiculous. We make sense, Sakura. We're not meant to be broken up."

Had she once been so blind that she bought into his bullshit? "Sasuke, you're a shitface who cheated on me without remorse. Not just once, or twice, but countless of times." Her heart swelled at the words that came out of her mouth, but she wasn't sure that was a good thing. "You know I'm not dumb enough to just look the other way while you contract several sexually transmitted diseases from your very poor choice of easy whores." A bitter smile played on her lips even as she felt her insides coil. "I'm not the same moron I was a few months back. I'm done playing games with you." She made a shooing gesture with her hands. "I'm sure the legendary Sasuke Uchiha will have no trouble finding some low-standard slut who would suck his dick and tell him he's pretty. So why don't you run along now before you ruin my day any further."

Just as she said that, the bell for third period rang and Asuma came through the doors with an armful of History books.

Scowling, Sasuke rose from his perch. "We're not done talking, Sakura."

God, she hoped they were.

* * *

_**NARUTO AND HINATA**_

By fifth period, Naruto managed to convince (read: bully) Lee out of his chair so Naruto could sit next to Hinata. For a long while, the blond said nothing to the new student as she fidgeted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. He sent her a smile that Ino said made him look like a retard but Hinata found it way cute.

Finally, he spoke. "I'm Naruto. Do you wanna be my friend?"

His bluntness surprised Hinata, but was she really that shocked hearing this from the boy who proclaimed her "hot" in front of all her new classmates the first moment they met? "H-hello. I'm Hinata."

Naruto lifted his armchair and scooted closer to Hinata. "Yeah, I know. Neji and Tenten have been talking about you the whole summer. And then Tsunade-baa-chan introduced you at homeroom. And you're really pretty so I'll never forget your name. Believe it!"

Hinata's blush intensified. Just as she was about to mutter thanks for the compliment she was sure she did not deserve, he interrupted. "Also, Sakura-chan told me to apologize for sexually harassing you at homeroom. But I didn't touch your lady parts or anything so I don't really get what I did to sexually harass you."

The air felt thinner. Good lord, the conversation was not one Hinata thought she'd be having on her first day of school, or ever in her life for that matter. "N-no, it's fine—"

"And I know this is totally out of the blue, but do you maybe want to go out with me for dinner tonight?" Naruto asked, pink dusting his cheeks as he meekly scratched at the back of his head.

"Like a date?" Hinata clarified, her eyes going wide.

In true trundere fashion, Naruto looked away and flushed harder. "I mean, I guess we can call it that if you want to."

Hinata was pretty sure she'd never been asked out on a date before. Attending an all-girl's school certainly didn't help her chances of that. "I'd love to, Naruto-kun, but I have a doctor's appointment after class. I don't think I'll be able to make it to dinner."

The blond visibly deflated. "Oh."

"I'm sorry." Hinata murmured, feeling bad. "I'm free next week, though, if that's okay."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. And Ino said he didn't have game.

* * *

_**EVERYONE**_

It was lunch time, and everyone who was anyone sat gathered in the cafeteria's longest table. Small talk was abundant and everyone wanted to know everything about each other's summer, as if they hadn't kept in touch. With them was the new girl, Hinata Hyuuga, seated next to Naruto who babbled to her animatedly about the workings of Konoha High. Ino was seated next to Choji, subtly putting her food into his plate. This did not go unnoticed by Shino, who talked sports with Kiba. Sakura sat at her new spot at the farthest end of the table as opposed to her old position beside Sasuke, understandably upset and unwilling to be anywhere near her ex-boyfriend. Neji and Tenten, also known as KH's Brangelina, sat with their heads together discussing the AP English introduction.

"There you are!" Ino cried by way of greeting when Shikamaru finally made an appearance and sat on the empty spot beside her. She placed both hands on his cheeks, dragged his face to hers and kissed him. "Hi. Happy first day."

Shikamaru only smiled at her that smile boys in love smiled. It made Hinata's romantic heart swell. "How long have you two been together?" Hinata timidly asked, watching the couple. Ino's stared at Hinata in disbelief, then at Shikamaru, before laughing.

"Silly, Shikamaru and I aren't dating. Ew." The blonde's nose scrunched up as she sipped her diet coke. "I mean, I blow him sometimes, but we're, like, strictly friends."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Don't be crude, troublesome woman."

A beet red Hinata gasped. "I'm so sorry for assuming—"

It was Sakura who waved her apology off. "Don't worry about it, Hinata-chan. No one else understands it either." Was it worth it to explain the confusion that was Shikamaru and Ino? Sakura herself couldn't comprehend their relationship fully, since Ino told her that she and Shikamaru just had sex, but they were just friends. But really, what friends with benefits deal turned out well for both parties? Countless times found Sakura trying to tell as such to her best friend, but of course Ino wouldn't listen. She had her own world, and as much as Sakura wanted to protect her from the hurt she was bound to feel in the end, she couldn't tell Ino what to do.

Ino scoffed. "Two consenting adults having great sex. What's the big bafflement about it?"

"Alright, don't bust a vein, Ino," Tenten conceded, "Hinata's too innocent for your wanton beliefs."

"I do not want you to defile my cousin with your lasciviousness." Neji said, backing his girlfriend up. "She was raised to be decent."

"And you're saying I wasn't?" The whole table voiced a resounding 'no'. It only made Ino grin. "Whatever. I haven't asked Hinata to watch porn with me, so calm your self-righteous man titties, Neji."

"You haven't asked her _yet_," Shino muttered.

"Anyway," Choji chirped, turning all the attention back to Hinata. "What school did you come from, Hinata?"

Still red from all the sudden concentration she was getting, Hinata fidgeted in her seat. "Um, from Ame Academy."

"Oi, Sasuke, didn't you used to go there?" Naruto asked through a mouthful of ramen.

"You moron, Ame is an all girls school." The Uchiha sneered, tempted to remind Naruto that they've been attending the same school since Kindergarten.

A wolfish grin took over Naruto's features. "Exactly my point."

Sasuke took the pickle between his sandwich and flicked it at Naruto.

"Bet he did go there just to get some pussy." Kiba snickered. Many faces turned to see Sakura's features harden.

"Jesus, Kiba, have some fucking delicacy." Tenten scolded him, feeling sorry for her pink-haired classmate. She knew full well how much Sasuke's womanizing hurt Sakura and although Sasuke was also her friend, there was no way in hell Tenten would condone cheating of any kind.

The table was silent after that.

* * *

_**SHIKAMARU AND INO**_

In all honesty, Ino's little rant about the Strictly Friends Who Have Sex bothered Shikamaru all the way to his last class. He knew what he got into the very first moment Ino urged him into bed with her; she'd made it all perfectly clear in her no nonsense tone. "It's just sex, Shika, okay? No romance, no strings and no hard feelings." It was not something one would easily forget, especially not Shikamaru since Ino never lost the chance to remind him of it before mad horniness took over. He thought he was fine with it, he really did. The first time it happened he successfully deluded himself into feeling nothing but that spike of lust. The second time was almost as easy. The progressing encounters, not so much. Shikamaru, after all, was only human.

He knew he didn't have the right to be upset. It wasn't fair to Ino that he was feeling the way he did

* * *

**AN:** I'm sorry this chapter was not a lot, the original copy got deleted. As I've said many times, I type all my stories on my phone (inspiration just doesn't come to me when I'm on my laptop) and a couple of days ago, my phone did this weird thing where it completely wiped out all my music, pictures, movies, ebooks and word files. Like, shit, you don't know how many unfinished stories I had in there. Prayer circle for my broken soul.  
Anyway. It was just today that I picked myself out of my funk, sucked it up and typed the chapter to the best of my memory. And did I ever tell you guys my memory sucks ass? The original doc was nearing 8,000 words.

I know the past two chapters suck, but I promise things are going to be more clear starting in the next chapter (which you don't have to wait long for, seeing as its half-done). Please review and let me know how I'm doing, it would be greatly appreciated.

PS: Don't worry about me changing the pairing. I'll just feature the main pairing every chapter, because it seems fair that way.

_**Please don't add this to you Favorites/Alerts if you're not going to review.**_


	3. a bad day

**Note:** Mature topics ahead. Tread softly.

* * *

**Love and Misadventure**

by _mirajens  
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I know what we are

and I know what we're not

—**Lang Leav**, _Love &amp; Misadventure_

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_**SHIKAMARU AND INO**_  
It was the second week back and Shikamaru, perfectly capable of sniffing out trouble before it could harm him, sensed there was something wrong with her.

With Ino, that was.

His long time friend had always been a troublesome woman with her tumultuous moods and apparent penchant for being a haughty bitch. She was hot and cold and annoying so much that Shikamaru wondered how it was that he was able to put up with her for so long. He'd known her (along with Choji) so long that he would go so far as to say that he didn't know what life was like without her and her bossiness and myriad of white girl issues. Even when they were just tots, Ino Yamanaka would walk all over Shikamaru as if she enjoyed it and being the fool he was, Shikamaru happily played her servant, her plaything and whatever she wanted him to be. And just recently, she wanted him to be her fuck buddy.

He had to admit, he'd been shocked when she first proposed he share her bed. It had been a few months back and they had both been drunk at Sakura's eighteenth birthday party when she began to strip off her slinky little Alaïa and asked— no, demanded he take his ugly Fall Out Boy t-shirt off and fuck her proper. Not a lot of opportunities saw the spiky-haired genius stunned into silence, but soon enough, he was naked and Ino was moaning and writhing beneath him in Sakura's parents' bed. Shikamaru thought it was just a onetime thing to finally expel the sexual tension that built up between him and one of his longest friends, but sooner than later found him wrong. Ino began to show up at his bedroom or anywhere else with a flat surface for them to have sex and it would happen as if it was natural, as if it was right. After the deed was done, they would say nothing about it. Ino would slip back into her clothes, thank Shikamaru for the sex (in a tone that managed to be sarcastic and crude at the same time) and leave like it was no big deal.

But it _was_ a big deal.

Of course as soon as she was gone, his bed would feel cold and he would feel lonely and notions of love and commitment would play in his head. Shikamaru wished the frequent fucks could mean nothing to him as it meant nothing to Ino, but he just couldn't be that blasé about it. He'd been in love with her for the longest time. Even when he got his first girlfriend (yet another fiesty blonde named Temari) he was still plagued by thoughts of Ino. Even when she obtained boyfriends and flings and stalkers and admirers, Shikamaru's feelings concerning her would not back off. She always had a different guy hanging on her arm, but there was never a king to her queen. All of them were mere jesters, and Shikamaru had to wonder if he was one of them, too. He loved her, he was certain of that, above all else. It was stupid and irrational and weakening, but it was real. He knew she never saw him anything more than just her lazy, boring friend, but that never once diminished his love for her. There might have been many boys who would claim to possess the same love for the ruler of Konoha High, but unlike them, Shikamaru's love was not built on infatuation.

Of course, his love for her borne concern for her, which was why he was waiting by her locker after last period, ready to confront her on her (even more than usual) odd behavior. She showed up a couple of minutes after the bell rung.

"You've been avoiding me," Shikamaru stated without preamble. "Why is that?"

Ino scoffed before shoving him out of her locker's way. "I really don't need your shit right now, Shikamaru." She snarled, clearly feeling snappy. "Mama wants me to skip cheer prac so she can yell at me about one thing or another." Her eyes hardened as she put her books aside in favor of her Bottega Veneta. "So go whine about your loneliness to someone who has the time for it."

It was when she was readying herself for slaughter that Ino turned most volatile, and Shikamaru knew that. God, did he want to make everything better for her, but he was powerless at that front. Ino made sure of that. She never wanted anyone to soothe her when things got bad, always preferring to just tough it out alone. It was a quality of hers that Shikamaru admired and disliked on equal levels.

He shouldered his own bag and prepared to walk with her to the parking lot. "So troublesome. I'll wait in your room, then." While your mom yelled at you, he thought bitterly. "Then we can talk."

"I don't need your fucking shoulder to cry on, Shika!" She cried shrilly as she spun on her skinny heels to face him. But the look on his face had her protests dying in her mouth. She clicked her tongue. "Fine. You will wait for me in my room. Don't let mama see you or she'll be even madder."

* * *

_**TENTEN (AND NEJI)**_  
The girl in front of Kurenai Yuhi (guidance counselor extraordinaire) stared out the window to her left. Kurenai could see the girl's eyes glazed over, in the way of a person having a recollection. She was leaning on her hand, her chin on her palm. "Can I tell you a secret?" came her soft voice. She hadn't turned to look at Kurenai yet. "I was eleven years old when I first tried to kill myself."

She shook her pretty head, amusement evident in her face and her tone. "That sounds dramatic, but it's true. Ever since I was a toddler, life sucked for me. My mom died in the line of duty before I could even walk and my dad never really got over it. He turned to the bottle, developed a coke addiction and became a sex addict, as if everything else wasn't bad enough. It wasn't until the tender age of eleven that I thought I could put a stop to all my misery by popping a bottle of the pills my aunt kept in a drawer along with her sex toys." She snorted. All of a sudden, she looked like she just remembered Kurenai was there, and in an almost embarrassed way, she reeled herself back in, going back to the case in point. "My daddy loved me the way daddies weren't supposed to." she remarked quietly, a breathy whisper. She still refused to look at Kurenai. "That's all I'll ever say, Miss Yuhi, so I really would appreciate that you don't touch on that topic anymore."

"That's fine, Tenten." Kurenai had wonder if it was a nervous habit, Tenten playing with the agate beads circling her right wrist. She seemed lost in the memory, her gaze following the trees that danced in the wind outside.

"It happened for the longest time until my aunt found out and called the cops on my dad. I haven't seen him in nine years, but there are few nights I wouldn't dream about that monster." She looked at Kurenai now, brown eyes ringed with kohl and twinkling with a myriad of emotions boring into her. "The fear persisted all these years, even as the memory began to fade." She moved her shoulders in a gesture too lazy to be called a shrug. "It's horrible. Really horrible. Sometimes I wake up screaming. My throat hurts after that."

"Very few people know about that, and my fear. My aunt knows. My boyfriend knows. Some friends know, too." Tenten continued. Kurenai scribbled in her pad. "I know you didn't ask for my life story, but I hope this helps you understand why I beat the crap out of Hiro Yabuki when he made a stupid rape joke in front of me."

"I do understand, Tenten. Is it bad for me to want to shake your hand and call you my hero?" Kurenai grinned at the girl who reluctantly grinned back. "Boys —or people, in general have no business joking about something so offensive." Her red eyes gleamed with intent. "I assure you, mister Yabuki will not be let off the hook. I will make sure he gets punished." A sigh left the older woman's lips. "I do wish you didn't take matters into you own hands, because this will have to go on your record."

Calmly, Tenten smiled. "With all due respect, Miss Yuhi, a dirty record is worth getting to kick that asshole in the balls."

Kurenai returned the smile. "I can only imagine." She snapped Tenten's file shut. "That will be all. Please enjoy the rest of your afternoon. I'll call you on again when the decisions have been made. Please feel free to visit me any time."

Tenten exited the office in a pleasant mood. Her boyfriend, Neji Hyuuga, rose from his seat when he saw her, stowing away his phone. "Well? What's the verdict?"

"Miss Yuhi was very understanding." Tenten stood on tiptoes to kiss her man in greeting. "She says it will go on my record, but I don't think I'm gonna get suspended like I imagined."

"And of Hiro?" Neji asked, linking their hands and leading his love out of the offices and into the parking lot.

"Aching balls, sporting a shiner and a busted lip and he'll still get a rap on the hand, which is excellent."

"I swear to God, if I see him—"

"You'll do nothing." Tenten finished for him. "That was _my_ issue. I already gave him hell for it, so let's leave it at that. I don't need you to fight my battles, Neji."

Shaking his head, Neji took his car keys out of his pocket and unlocked his car. "That won't stop me from messing with him." Neji faced his girlfriend and cupped her cheek. "He hurt you. I can see it, even now. That's something I can't forgive."

Love made her foolish heart swell. "If you want me to feel better you can buy me a banana split at Maggie's"

Could he resist her when she was smiling at him like that? "I'll do anything you want me to do," he told her seriously before leaning down and landing a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Tenten."

Giddy with happiness, Tenten squeezed him in a hug. "And I love you, Mister Softie."

* * *

**AN:** So I took** Clementive**'s advice and will take the stories a few at a time. I have to admit, I already gave up on LAM because there were too many stories to be told and it overwhelmed me, so now I'm going to take it easy and not pressure myself to update.

_**Please don't add this to your Favorites/Alerts if you're not going to review.**_


	4. just friends

**Love and Misadventure**

by _mirajens  
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I know that you don't owe me,  
and I should ask for more;  
I shouldn't feel so let down,  
all the times when you don't call

What I feel— I should show you,  
so when you're around I won't;  
I know I've no right to feel it  
but it doesn't mean I don't"

—**Lang Leav**, _Love &amp; Misadventure_

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_**SHIKAMARU AND INO**_

The drive to Ino's home was long and silent. The journey was one that Shikamaru was familiar with, no matter how unwelcome he was since Inoichi died and the Yamanaka estate lost its color. He knew every shortcut, every dip of the road, and every speed bump and stop sign that lead to it. He and Choji were frequenters of Ino's home back since they were younger, and they often spent long hours that turned to days chasing each other through the long corridors, jumping on the huge four poster beds, pretend driving the luxury cars in the garage and doing cannonballs into the sprawling pool. It had been a happy childhood spent there, one that Shikamaru liked to think of fondly when he and his two closest friends were drifting apart due to exams and friends and obligations.

Beside him, Ino said not a word as she sped through the zigzag directing them to the big house atop the hill. Her hair blew in the warm wind, a wild flaxen tempest, and her eyes shone with all the emotions he knew she couldn't risk revealing. She was beautiful, so fucking beautiful, and he didn't mean that just because she had a pretty face. She went through so much; more than someone so young should, but she still strode through life like the fucking boss bitch she was. He watched her, and he was in awe with her. But more importantly, he was in love with her.

The circled around the central fountain, easing into the driveway in front of the house. The sheer size of the mansion failed to wow Shikamaru now, since it was probably his second home. But while it fell short of impressing him, it still intimidated him. He himself lived in an average sized house, nearly identical to Choji's house which was just beside his.

Wordlessly, they moved out of the convertible, with Shikamaru feeling a spurge of helpfulness and grabbing Ino's books and shouldered her gym bag. His lovely lady was distracted enough not to thank him. Once they entered the mansion, Ino absentmindedly greeted the maid dusting the large bone china vase before leading Shikamaru all the way up to the second floor west wing where her room was located.  
Her boudoir was a romantic affair of a hundred shades of purple, subtle perfume and soft pillows. Her large bed lay in the middle of it all, a host plenty times to Shikamaru and Ino in their lust-driven madness. It was not easy to think back on it now, with Ino's dark mood thick enough to suffocate.

"You, stay here." She commanded, preening in the large vanity beside her sofa. Mama would never accept her if so much as a hair was out of place. Ino learned this from a very young age, even when Inoichi was still alive.

When she was finished smoothing out her dress and reapplying a fresh coat of lipstick, she left without another word to him.

* * *

_**INO**_

With her back ramrod straight, Ino stood outside her mother's study. It was a different kind of nervousness that filled her when Hana summoned her. Nothing good ever came out of these meetings, that Ino was also well-versed in. Hana only ever talked to her daughter to scold and demean.

With that in mind, Ino entered the room.

"You asked for me, mama?" she began, her voice losing that powerful timber and in its stead was a more submissive tone. Oh, how she lost her light when faced with her mother, the only person who made the mighty Ino tremble.

Hana stood from the leather swivel chair, her face showing nothing but the barest hint of disappointment that was omnipresent whenever her daughter was near. "I heard from Yuhi-san that you have been falling behind your ballet lessons," the older woman said, coldness radiant off her.

The simple sentence made Ino cringe. So she'd been caught. She knew that it wasn't Kurenai-sensei's intention to cause a rift between mother and daughter (since no one outside very few of her friends knew about the very strained relationship of Ino and Hana), yet that was exactly what the progress report had achieved. Since the beginning of school, Ino had failed to show up at the dance studio, since she'd been busy with auditions.

"I'm sorry, mama, it's just that I became captain of the cheer leading squad now, and we have been busy with new recruits and the first game this Friday―"

A ringed hand struck Ino across the cheek, cutting her off mid-speech.

There was barely concealed fury boiling in Hana's eyes now. "Do you think you can prioritize your dirty, slutty cheer leading over ballet?" her mother cried, abandoning the calm, icy façade she wore so well. "I have paid for your lessons since you could walk, and you think I'm going to allow you throw it all away for some Hooters farce you and your whores put on every Football game?"

Ino ignored the stinging in her cheek and the hurt in her heart. "I am sorry, mama. I will make ballet my priority again."

Hana was already making her way back to her desk. Ino took this as a sign of dismissal and turned to leave, shutting down the ugly feelings coursing through her.

_Worthless._

That was what her own mother made her feel the 18 years she'd lived under her roof. Nothing was ever good enough for Hana Yamanaka and she made Ino know that every day of her stupid life.

"Oh, and Ino?" the woman called out just as Ino was about to shut the door behind her. Ino peeked in, and saw her mother at her desk, scribbling on a notepad. Hana looked up from her work and smiled a chilly smile at her daughter. "You could lose a few pounds."

* * *

_**SHIKAMARU AND INO**_

When Ino returned to her room, Shikamaru was already dozing off in her bed.

The very sight of him was enough to calm her down marginally. Her old friend was always so at peace with himself, something Ino envied greatly since her life was a huge fuck up. Shikamaru just possessed this innate Don't Give a Fuck attitude that had the perfectionist Ino wanting for it.

Suddenly, as if sensing her presence, his eyes blinked open and he caught her staring. She looked away, embarrassed.

With the remnants of shame and heartbreak her own mother dealt her, Ino made her way to her walk in closet and changed out of her cheer leading uniform and into a itty bitty corset top and a miniskirt. She was going to go out to God knew where; she didn't need to be stuck at home thinking about the shitty fight she had with her mother. Her little tête-à-tête with Shikamaru would have to wait because there was no way she was staying here.

As she slipped her feet out of socks, she noticed her nail polish chipped at the toes. That wouldn't do.

That wasn't _perfect_.

She marched back inside her room, walking straight to the shelf that housed her impressive collection of nail polish that ran the gamut from Pussy Red to Asguardian Blue. She took the color that matched the one on her nails and sat on the floor in front of her bed. Shikamaru eyed her warily, not liking how she was ignoring him.

"Oi, what's wrong?" He asked, but in a gentler tone than normal since he knew how vulnerable his friend was at the moment. "Did Hana talk shit again?" It was no secret that Shikamaru disliked Ino's mother. The woman had always been a salty ass bitch with no regard for her daughter's feelings, and that greatly pissed Shikamaru off. Many times found Shikamaru in heated arguments with Ino's mother, all in Ino's defense, and he guessed that was why he was so unwelcome in the Yamanaka household these days.

Ino twisted the top off the bottle and began methodically painting over imperfections. "She's concerned about ballet. I haven't been back to the studio since I had that breakdown there last month, you know?" She said in a voice so small Shikamaru almost didn't hear it. To better soothe, the brown-haired boy moved to join Ino on the floor where he could watch the languid stroked of color on each small toenail.

"I'm just never fucking good enough for her,"

Shikamaru watched her face, worry seeping into his person. He saw her hands trembling, painting shaky strokes onto her toes until with a cry, she threw the bottle onto the wall— an explosion of purple.

"Jesus, Ino," Shikamaru huffed, even as he drew the girl closer in a hug. Her quivering did not subside, and it made her friend fret. , carefully, he carried her to the bed. "Calm down, okay? I'll go get you some water."

He left her, albeit unwillingly, to go to the bathroom that connected into her famed walk in closet. Easily enough, he found a glass and filled it with water. With his mind on the girl weeping in the other room, Shikamaru rummaged through her medicine cabinet for an Aspirin but stumbled upon something that had him trembling, too.

With shaking hands, he bought the pregnancy test out of the drawer and saw a pink plus sign.

* * *

**AN: **Funny enough, I have the chapter next to this chapter's next chapter already written out (was that confusing?) The KibaInoShika will finally make sense, since I did intend for that to be the main pairing (triplet?). I just need the SasuSaku bit to come out, and it will all be good.

In case it isn't obvious, Shikamaru is Ino's only sexual partner rn. So I really don't get why someone called Ino a slut. Bruh, slut-shaming is bad. Don't do it. It aint cool.

_**Please don't add this to your Favorites/Alerts if you're not going to review.**_


	5. false hope

**Note: **the title of this chapter ought to be "Surprise, bitch!"

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is Kishimoto's. Love and Misadventure is Lang Leav's.

* * *

**Love and Misadventure**

by _mirajens_

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I don't want anyone else to have you.

—**Lang Leav**, _Love &amp; Misadventure_

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_**SHIKAMARU AND INO**_

She was still crying when a shell-shocked Shikamaru re-entered the room.

Even when his heart had dropped to the pits of his stomach, it ached for the pretty girl with the broken soul. He knew she was in pain, as she constantly was after her tiffs with the silently and abusive Hana. He knew that, but still he had the burning need to ask about the little stick that had already changed his life.

Wordlessly, he walked back to her, placing in her hand the small blue pill and the glass of water. She took them without urging, like she was used to this miserable routine.

When they settled into a heavy silence, Shikamaru figured now was the best time as ever to bring it up. "Ino?" He asked, his eyes on her lap because he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

"What?" She returned, in a hoarse and irritated voice. She never did like talking after such events since she figured he'd only ask her if she was okay, or if she wanted to "talk about it", both to which the obvious answers were no.

"Are you pregnant?"

The emotions that played over her face were enough to send Shikamaru into cardiac arrest.

"How did you—"

"I saw the test in the bathroom." His voice sounded weak, but that was only because his heart was threatening to burst out of his chest.

She stammered, no coherent word coming out of her mouth and it further confirmed his suspicions.

"Fuck, Ino, when were you going to tell me?" He demanded, the beginnings of panic making his voice rise.

Equally rattled, Ino stood from her lounge on the bed, looking for all the world like a cornered animal. Not knowing what else to do, she bolted from the man who asked for answers she couldn't yet give. She was already running down the stairs when she heard him call out to her.

* * *

_**INO**_

Ino was seething by the time she got out of her house.

She was insanely angered by the fact that Shikamaru intruded on her privacy like that, and forced her onto a difficult situation that was telling him about the pregnancy test. Who the fuck did he think he was bossing her around as if he knew any better, as if he had the right to dictate her life? Who was he but her stupiddumb childhood friend who she fucked when she got bored and her vagina was atingle? Never mind that she was withholding crucial information from him; Ino was _pissed_.

Tears welled up in Ino's eyes as she grabbed her car keys from the bone china bowl stationed beside the doors. She was going on a long drive to God knew where although she was perfectly knowledgeable on the fact that anger and driving did not make a stellar combination, especially in her case. That was exactly why she imposed that she would never get behind the wheel when she was any kind of upset. The situation always turned awry when she made irrational decisions like this.

What the fuck ever, she sneered. Her life was shitty. She deserved to break her own rules every once in a while.

* * *

She drove for hours, it seems, but she never made it far outside the city. Her no destination journey was punctured by stops to liquor stores for alcohol she wouldn't drink (at least, not tonight) and stopovers at boutiques for shoes that caught her eye. After that came the urge to drive out to the countryside and maybe drive to a completely different country and never go back.

She reached the town borders when her car sputtered, whined and died.

Defeated, angry and miserable, Ino got out of the convertible and ran to open the hood. She was greeted by a cloud of scorching air that was hot enough to melt her face off had she not evaded it. Though inspecting the engine turned out to be non-productive, seeing that Ino knew jack shit about cars. When she was about to call Shikamaru for help, her phone beeped protest, telling Ino that there was no signal in such a remote part of town.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, big droplets of rain began to descend.

"Fucking great!" she exclaimed as she ran to the safety of her car, operating the roof once she was inside.

With her patience wearing thin, she waited for help to arrive.

* * *

**_KIBA AND INO_**

The headlights of hope came some forty minutes later when Ino was just about ready to cry.

She had been trapped in her car in the rain in the middle of nowhere for so long with no food or even a proper jacket. Her hair was a matted mess against her neck and her clothes were damp and lent her a sticky feeling. It was safe to say that she was desperate when she began to frantically flag down the approaching motorcycle. The driver came to a halt in front of her, and Ino felt the onset of relief wash over her.

"Yamanaka?" The man on the bike asked as he removed his helmet, only to reveal Kiba Inuzuka's face. "Are you outta your fuckin' mind? I coulda run you over, you stupid shit! What are you doin' in the middle of the damn road?"

She was so relieved to see a familiar face that she barely suppressed happy tears. Her next words, however, contradicted her emotions. "Stop yelling at me you fucking hillbilly turd. I've been stuck in this craphole in the rain for hours and I don't need any shit from anyone right now." Even though she shook from the cold that had long chilled her to the bone, she placed her hands on her hips and scowled. "And as if you could run me over with that piece of shit bicycle of yours."

"It's not a—" Kiba cut himself off, thinking that there was no sense arguing with Ino when she made up her mind. He might not have been close with her but he knew her well enough from Shikamaru's gripes. "Tell me what the hell you're doin' here? Doncha have some high society party you need to attend?"

Ino helplessly gestured to her clumsily parked car. "My car broke down. I think the engine ran out of juice, but I'm not sure." She waited for Kiba to pop open the hood and check it out, but he made no move. "Well? You're a mechanic, aren't you? You gonna tell me what's wrong with it or what?"

"Woman, I aint gonna touch your stupid as fuck car. I've never even touched a Lexus before. And besides, I fix motorcycles, not cars." Kiba shook his head, making his hair stick to his forehead. He looked oddly sensual with his clothes clinging to his athletic build. Huh. Since when was Kiba this sexy? Ino liked to think that she paid pert attention to the looks of her town's male persuasion, but Kiba somehow slipped her Gorgeous Radar. Why was that? Could it be because he never registered as anything other than 'asshole who told me to shut up when I cried back in middle school'?

"Don't all guys know about cars? Shit, just how useless are you?" Ino threw her hands up in disgust, deciding to set aside the growing attraction she had been contemplating. No need for anymore weirdness tonight, and God knew being hot for Kiba Inuzuka fell under the weird category.

"If you're gonna insult me, I'm gonna leave your fat ass out here. Shit," he muttered, running a hand through soppy hair. "Try to help a chick you hate and she bitches at you."

Ino's eyes narrowed as she heard his complaint. She was so panicked by his threat that she let the fat comment slip. "You wouldn't fucking dare. Drive me to my house now."

The brunette ignored her as he favored the sky with a long look. "The storm's comin'" Kiba said after observing the dark clouds that rolled in. As if to confirm his prediction, thunder boomed, making Ino shriek. "You're not safe here. You're gonna catch your death in that itty bitty outfit you got on. Jesus Christ, what the fuck possessed you to even wear that in this crappin' weather?" Kiba shook his head. Rich girls were an enigma to him. Why couldn't Ino Yamanaka be a normal rich girl like their new friend Hinata?

But then again, he couldn't help but appreciate how the tiny bandage skirt made her ass look like God's finest work and how the bustier gave him a supreme view of her top rack. He began to walk to his motorcycle, leaving Ino to scramble to lock her car up safely. She'd come back for her baby when the weather let up. "You're free to slum it at my house tonight 'cause I sure as hell aint drivin' you to the other side of town to your rich bitch mansion and get caught in the shit storm."

"'Rich bitch mansion'?" Ino parroted, quickly catching up to Kiba. She watched as he straddled his Harley. "Is my car gonna be safe here? How the fuck am I gonna get on that thing?" Ino huffed, crossing her arms. Kiba spared her a pithy look.

"What're you babblin' about, woman? You hop on the fucking seat behind me. No rocket science there. Jesus, and the other day you were naggin' about how you were a _smart_ blonde."

Ino gestured to her legs. "I'm wearing a skirt, you dumbass."

Kiba looked pained. "Fuck's sake." He muttered. "Quit your whinin' and get on. I hate gettin' rained at."

It was with a heavy heart that Ino slung a leg over the motorcycle, immediately adjusting her miniskirt. Kiba seemed to wait a bit before grabbing her hands and wounding them around his waist. "You can touch me, you know. Poverty aint contagious."

A violent blush made Ino's face glow. "Stop patronizing me, you ape, and drive already. I'm fucking cold."

With a smirk, Kiba revved the engine, making the two-wheeler shoot off. Ino had to suppress a cry. She'd never been on a motorcycle before since they made her nervous. But Kiba had been driving them since they were sixteen and he was still alive, so she guessed he knew what he was doing. The chilly air hit her from all directions, making her shiver. Kiba was right: she should have put on more clothes.

* * *

_**SASUKE AND SAKURA**_

Coming out of the very first student council meeting, Sakura bid her classmates goodbye and prepared to leave school. It was a long walk home, and although Sakura got offers from Hinata and Naruto and Choji to get a ride home, she chose to go on foot, sans the company. She needed time for herself.

Seeing Sasuke again made a mess of her. Sasuke with his unnerving stare and persistent hounding of her. He made her sick to his stomach, but she felt that was not due to his misgivings, but because remnants of a strong love for him still burned in her.

There was a honk of a horn behind her, and she didn't need to turn to see it was Sasuke's ostentatious F-Type. She'd been on more rides on it than she cared to remember right now. The roof was up, and the window to the passenger's seat was open so that he could talk to her. Huffily, she adjusted the books in her hands and soldiered on. It wasn't much farther from her house where she would be safe from his unwanted attention. Actually, all she wanted right now was to curl up into a ball and bemoan Sasuke's very existence.

"Get on, I'll give you a ride home." Sasuke said without prelude. At this, Sakura scoffed.

"Get away from me. My house is literally two blocks away and I don't need your help." She shot back, refusing to look him in the eye. He should be keeping his eyes on the road anyway, but she doubted it mattered for him because the speed he was going matched that of her brisk walk.

She heard his audible tsk. "There's a typhoon coming. Just get in, and we don't have to get caught in it." He countered, exasperation coloring his tone.

"Then save yourself, and go on home. I'll be in mine soon enough." Dismissively, she added, "Goodbye, Sasuke. Have a good night."

The boy knew she didn't mean the last part, but he ignored it anyway. "Why are you like this, Sakura? I miss you."

Thick rage lit up Sakura's eyes and for the first time that night, she turned to look at the man who had shattered her heart without any hesitance. How dare he say something so manipulative, when he knew that every lie that came out of his mouth lanced straight through her heart. How dare he even think to lie to her like that, when he was the one who ruined everything in the first place?

"Don't say you miss me when it's your fault." Sakura warned lowly. "After everything you put me through, you have no right to miss me, or even talk to me. Because even now that I cut you off my life, there's still pieces of you stuck inside me and it's not helping me move on."

They were in front of her parents' home now, and he pulled to a stop so he could talk to her. "What the fuck are you even talking about? If you want me out of your life so bad, it shouldn't be so hard to drop me."

"What am I talking about?" she parroted hotly, holding down the rising urge to beat him bloody with her heavy chemistry book. "I'm pregnant, you son of a bitch!"

Sasuke felt all the blood drain from his head.

With tears blurring her vision, Sakua spoke, "And the kicker is, it might not even be yours."

Anymore words failed her so she turned her back on him, as he did to her, and went to the safety of home.

* * *

_**KIBA AND INO**_

A look at the Inuzuka property said to Ino that Kiba was not as poor as he lead people to believe. While the house itself was not grand in anyway and looked like it had seen happier days, it was average in size. The surrounding land was big, perhaps even bigger than the Yamanaka property. "Well I'll be damned. Kiba Inuzuka isn't such a poor boy after all."

"Ah, shut your trap. My mama and my sister aren't poor but I am."

"Is there a difference?"

"To you, maybe not." Kiba thought that Ino was exactly the type of girl who was comfortable living in someone else's riches. Such was not the case with Kiba. While his mother bred dogs and his sister was a vet, there was enough money for their family to be well off. But Kiba was a hard believer that one should only spent what one earned, and his shit job at the mechanics could not afford him a lifestyle as comfortable as his family's. Sure, there was always food on the table, but the basic necessities were the only things his mother provided for him. His allowance and gas money and other leisure were all in his budget. Hell, he was even paying for the whole college shebang, should he decide to go.

Ino would probably never understand that, so he didn't bother explaining to her. Let her live in her wealthy bliss. Kiba was fine with his self-sufficiency. "The land's big 'cause my ma breeds dogs. We need a lot of space for them."

"You know, I don't really care." Ino replied haughtily, after a long time, inducing a bout of anger to overtake Kiba. Jesus _fuck_. Rescue some bitch from getting blown away by a typhoon and she gives you an attitude.

"I should have left you back there. For fuck's sake." Kiba told her, irritation seeping through him.

Ino chose not to reply, but she rolled her eyes as she entered house, muddy sandals and all. "Can you pretty please get me something dry to wear?" In what seemed to be a complete one-eighty, she smiled at her classmate and batt her eyelashes.

Stunned by the fluctuating mood of the girl before him, he mindlessly did as asked. Not thinking straight, he pawed through his sister's closet for something the picky Ino would wear. When he came back bearing clean laundry, he found Ino standing in the middle of the small living room in nothing but her underwear.

"Ugh, this was Dsquared!" Ino exclaimed as she help up her wet miniskirt.

"Suck it up, princess. I'm sure you can buy some more." With that, Kiba threw the clothes at Ino's face, delighting at the sound of her aggravated schriek.

* * *

It wasn't exactly a secret that Kiba avoided interaction with Ino as much as possible. And that was no easy feat seeing that they belonged to the same group of friends. She was the very type of girl he detested with her pretentions and her acerbity and God knew whatever else issues she had. Like Shikamaru always said, she was a troublesome woman. Obviously, a smart man would do best not to welcome complications like her into his life. She was bad news, Kiba knew as much.

'Yet here I am,' he mused to himself, a grimace on his face. And there she was on his mom's thrift store couch, wearing his sister's old flannel shirt and drinking a mug of cheap hot chocolate. She was beautiful, that he also knew, and it was with that thought that Kiba experienced the first pangs of longing for the girl everybody wanted for.

'Shit,' was all he could think. How was it that Konoha's ice queen managed to suck him in for just a small amount of time and so little work? That was another problem with girls of Ino's caliber: they reeled you in without any effort on their part until you were so dependent on them your heart just broke because you knew they would never love you as much as you did. The very realization of that was enough to make Kiba nervous. Damn if he was going to be one of her string-alongs.

Refusing to think more about it, Kiba joined his guest.

"Why aren't you wearin' the pants I gave you?"

"They made my legs look wide." She said with a simper he'd seen numerous times, resented always. But as she smiled at him, the throbbing in his chest came back and he felt himself fall just a little bit more.

"So you'd rather be cold than wear pants not up to your standards?" He cocked a brow at her and hoped that he sounded as blasé as he pretended to be.

"Exactly." She turned her attention away from him. "Your stupid TV doesn't work."

"Power's out, blondie. Sorry you won't get to watch Fashion Police or whatever." He snorted, not sorry in the least.

"That show is repulsive. Joan Rivers and the other basic bitches on that show don't know dick about fashion." She began to chip off the paint off his favorite mug. "But I guess tacky people like yourself would be entertained by that, huh?"

Grinning, because snappy exchange of words felt like the old times when Kiba wasn't so love struck, he retorted, "Nah, the only TV I watch is the pay-per-view porn."

Ice blue eyes roved over his body before she opened that damned mouth of hers. "Not getting enough real action, Kiba?"

"What, are you offering?" Because I'd jump you in a heartbeat. "No thanks, I don't want your STD cocktail."

"So crude." Ino grinned wide. "Why aren't we better friends?"

"Because you think people without a black AmEx are scum?"

"I really have to wonder where you got the idea that I'm such an elitist." The first dredges of irritation sparked in her eyes. Just because she enjoyed her money, doesn't mean she hated poor people.

"Written all over that pretty face of yours, Yamanaka."

* * *

**AN:** I swear to God if someone calls Ino a slut, I will cut your fingers off and stuff them in your mouth.

Soooo, in case it's not obvious, the pregnancy test was not Ino's, but Sakura's. Ino couldn't come clean to Shikamaru because it wasn't her secret to tell. But yeah.

Also, I apologize updates aren't coming quicker. I'll try harder.


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